I carry my Model 38 in my right front pocket, sans holster. Never used a holster for it off-duty. How fast can I draw it? Dunno, never measured it, but taking it out of my pocket is second nature and it's a totally natural movement.

The few times I've had to draw if from a pocket, I had it in my hand before the threat was aware that the game had changed. One second I was a perceived victim, the next I was standing there with a gun in my hand. It's unsettling to the average goblin to have the rules change in the opening seconds. They tend to just run-away. Then, you're left standing with a gun in one hand and an adrenaline dump in your gut.

Training is useful and has spawned an industry that didn't exist 40 years ago. Knowing how fast you can draw a handgun might also be useful, as we tend to measure everything, quantify everything, want to compete in ways that are defined. However, the simple fact of the matter is that for most street crime, simply having a gun is enough. Situational awareness should give you that second you need to draw the gun and have it in your hand before the scenario goes south.